If you check under the December archives, you will see “KP531 makes a big decision.”  I tell the story of a male whose long-time mate, KP467, was sitting on his egg while he sat on the egg of a female he met last season when KP467 was not around.

In the late afternoon yesterday, after sitting on her egg for a month, KP467 abandoned her nest.  In this photo you can see the abandoned egg, with an occupied nest in the background.

Abandoned nest of KP467

Yesterday KP531 continued to sit on his new mate’s egg.  Today when I checked the nests in that area, there was a bird on the egg KP531 has been incubating, and another bird was about 15 feet away.  That bird was KP531.  I walked towards the nest to verify that his new mate,  K112 was on the egg.  As I did, KP531 ran over to the nest before I could get there and stood protectively over K112 and their egg.  He has definitely chosen K112 over the mate he was with for at least 7 years.

KP531 standing next to K112 on nest

I always leave abandoned eggs for a few days in case the bird comes back.  I don’t like to interfere with the albatross way of life.